Scientists spot rare Indian Pitta after 60 years

Indian Pitta, a bird endemic to the Himalayan foothills and Western Ghats, was spotted at Aravalli Biodiversity Park near Vasant Kunj in Delhi recently. As per ornithologists, Indian Pitta, a small and colourful bird which is mainly seen in closed-canopy forests, was spotted in Delhi after 60 years.

Why sighting of Indian Pitta is special for scientists?

The sighting of Indian Pitta or ‘Navaratna’ was last reported by ornithologist Usha Ganguli in her book-A Guide to the Birds of Delhi. But for scientists, the spotting of the bird in national capital after 60 years is special because it was seen in the mining pits which they have converted in to moist forests. As an experiment, scientists planted evergreen species in these despoiled pits of Aravalis which was a wasteland earlier. The bird discovered the type of atmosphere it needs at this location.